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F. J. SHOCK July 13 19 26.

TANK VALVE v Filed July 19 1922 [nvenlor Eloraz'n JShvo/a Hay.

Patented July 13, 1925.

FLORAIN J. SHOCK, 0F AKRON, ()HIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE EMF.G-OODRICHOOll-IPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIUN OF NEW YORK.

TANK VALVE.

Application filed July 19, 1922.

a rubber valve of improved form which may,

if desired, be made by a simple method such as molding on a solid coreand which shall possess the necessary air capacity and the necessarystiffness in its upper portion without resorting to extra reinforcingexpedients, while its lower seating portion etc I' hibits ample sealingproperties through a long period of service.

Of the accompanying,crawings, Fig. l is a side elevation of a preferredform of my improved valve.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing also thetank outlet in broken lines.

Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view.

The valve asshown is in one piece of, preferably, homogeneous vulcanizedrubber,

either of so-called floating stock or a stock which, by theincorporation of only small quantities of mineral matter, has a specificgravity approximating that of water.

Its lower or seating portion or head 10 is of conoidal or semi-sphericalshape for seating within the funnel-shaped valve-seat 11 surrounding thetank outlet, while its upper portion or stem 12 is cylindroidal in form,being smaller in diameter at its lower end than the upper diameter ofthe seating portion and having a flattened top 13 in which is embeddedthemetal spud or anchorage 14; for screwingion the threaded lower end ofthe stem or red 15.

The wall of the seating portion to is of downwardly-taperingcross-section, being thickest at its upper end where it merges into thewall of the upper portion 12 and shelves out beyond the latter. Theinterior air-chamber 16 is preferably formed by molding the valve arounda metal core or mandrel, in which case the contracted mouth or opening17 at the lower end of the valve is formed by the neck of said core andis of such diameter as to permit the withdrawal of the body of the coreby stretching'the mouth over it.

The described construction gives a vertically-elongat-ed air-chamber ofsuch capacity as to afford the necessary buoyancy to keep the valve oilits seat, when lifted by the stem 15, during discharge of the contentsof the tank. The upper portion 12, tl'iough of soft rubber and having noribs or other usual Serial No. 576,028.

stiffening expedients, is prevented from collapsing under the head ofwater when the valve is seated, both because of its form and relativelysmall diameter and because of the sti'dening effect aliiorded by thewallthickness of the upper end of the seating portion 10, suchthickness, however, being insufficient to interfere with a good sealingcontact by conformity of said seating portion or valve proper with itsseat. This sealing is promoted by a more direct transmission of thewater pressure through the upper portion 12 to the zone of seating contact of the valve produced by a slight flattening of the portion 10under the hydrostatic pressure, the base diameter of such upper portionbeing less, or at least no greater than the average diameter D of saidzone. It is found that one of the greatest advantages of this valve isthat, although preferably of soft, flexible construction substantiallythroughout, it will not materially pull out of shape duringlong-continued use, a common faultwith many of the older types oftank-balls, even when the top is made of semi-rigid or reinforcedconstruction. This permanentdeformation' is avoided by the mushroomshape of my device, which I believe to be broadly new in a valve of substantially all-rubber, flexible construction. Said shape is conferred bythe provision of a bulbous head as shown, in combination with a stem ofsmaller base diameter than the greatest diameter of the head, withoutreference to the particular shape of said stem. Another factorcontributing to this improved result is the provision of an annularportion on the head 10, of uniform, maximum thickness at the junction ofsaid head with the stem 12, in a full-molded valve made of stock whichis at once soft and permanently resilient by reason of its highproportion of pure rubber.

It will be understood that the shape and other details may be somewhatvaried without departing from my invention, and I do not exclude the useof ribbing or' other usual reinforcement but merely say that my improvedform of valve makes it non-essential.

in the valve here shown, an annular, upwardly-projecting flange or skirt18 is molded around the upper margin of the seating portion 10 above theseating Zone to shield the shelving edge of the valve from expo sure tothe outgoing stream of water adja 1. A buoyant tank valve o2": unitary,

flexible, soft-rubber construction compris-v ing a hollow lower orseating portion, and an upwardly-prejecting, closed, cylindroidal stemof smaller diameter than'said lower portion, forming substantially theupper half of the valve. 7

' 2. A flexible, buoyant valve" of full-molded construction composed ofsubstantially float i-ng soft-rubber stoclrand having a hollow stem anda wide-mouthed, eonoid'al head integrally connected with and extendingcircumterentially beyond the lower end of said stem." p A 3. A buoyanttank-valve of mushroom shape having a flexible, soft-rubber, conoizdalhead and a hollow, oyl ifndroida'l stein vulcanizedto said head at theback, of the latters seating zone.

4. A buoyant tank-valve of mushroom shape having a flexible, soft-rubberhead,

and a hollow stem having integral con" nection with said head'at theback of the latters seating zone and flexibly-torqued o't soft rubber atand adjacent to said connection.. i

5'. A'buoyant tanlovalve of flexible, fullmolded construction, composed'ofsoft rubber stock and com-prlsing a wide-mouthed,

. conoidal head and a hol'low stein, said-head including an annularportion of substantially uniform. maximum thickness at its junction withthe stem.

6. A buoyant tank-valve of mushroom shape comprisinga flexible,soft-rubber conoidal headhaving its region of greatest thickness at anintermediate seating zone,

and a hollow rubber stem vulcanized to the head at said region ofgreatest thickness. 7

7. A flexible, hollow, unitary tank-valve of mushroom shape. composedsubstantially throughout of soft vulcanized rubber, the head of saidvalve having its region of greatest thickness at its junction with thehollow stem oi the valve at the seating zone of said head 7 V I 8. Abuoyant mushroom tank-valve comprising a hollow',cyl1ndroidal stem, anda co noidal head of flexible, soft-rubber construc tion formed withanupwardly-projecting, outeri marginal flange.

9. A buoyant mushroom tankevalve of flexible, unitary, soft-rubberconstruct-ion comprising a hollow, cylindroidal stem, and

a conoiclalhead having its region of greatest thickness where it joinssaids'tem at "the.

seating zone of the'h'ea-d, and formed: with thinner,upwardly-projective, outerniarginal flange."

10. A buoyantinu-shrooni valve having a wide-mouthed, flexible rubberhead-and hollow, cylincli'oidal rubber stem integrallyvulcanized-thereoin V L 11. A buoyant mushroom tank-valve co1nprising astem, andfa conoidal: head of flexible, soft rubber construction formedwith an upwardly projecting, outer marginal flange. 7

12. A buoyant mush-room tank valve coin prising a hollow stem, and ahol-l-ow,'conoidal head of flexible, soiit rubber construction marginalflange. a

13. A buoyant valve of integral, flexible, soft rubber constructioncompr sing a hol- .low stem and a hollow sea-ting portion en-" closing achamber provided with a'wide' opening at the bottom, and an upwardlyprojecting, annular, marginalupper lip on the seating portion.

In witness where'otl have hereunto set my hand this 13 d'ay ofJung-.1922

FLoRArN a. snooir formed with an upwardly projecting, outer

